A New Life
by Narniaqueen1300
Summary: It is the Pevensies' first night at Cair Paravel, and Lucy is trying to process all that has happened. A Lucy and Peter fic. No incest, just sibling bonding.


**A New Life**

The ten year old queen yawned as she glanced around her new room. It was half-past midnight now, and she couldn't seem to fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. Everything was so different-in a good way-but still different.

Lucy's new chambers had at the center, a large fourposter canopy bed, draped with silver and scarlet silk over the corners. The mattress was more comfortable than anything she had ever laid on before, and down-feather pillows were scattered all around her. To the right of her bed, a bookshelf as tall as the wall itself stood, full of novels and stories that she couldn't wait to devour. On the other side of the room was a magnificent vanity set that sat on a hand-embroidered silver rug, and a closet full of lovely dresses, like the one she had worn just hours before, at the coronation.

When first coming into Narnia, Lucy had never even imagined that after two short months, she would be a queen here. Now, as she lay her head back against her pillow, a sense of eager anticipation and wonder filled her at the life ahead of her and her siblings. She thought of each of them individually.

Peter would make a great high king. Lucy had no doubt about that. She could see it in his eyes this afternoon when Tumnus had placed the crown on his head. He stood tall, yet humbly as he looked over his kingdom. Every inch of him spoke magnificence and honor.

Susan had been declared the high queen, next to Peter. Always having been the nurturing one, Lucy was not surprised at all when Aslan had announced her as "Queen Susan the Gentle." It suited her very well.

And Edmund had come a longer ways than any of them had since leaving England. Having gone from being a traitor and always blaming others for his actions, he now had learned how to take responsibility and set things right. "Just" had been the first word for him that Lucy had thought of, even before he was crowned.

Aslan had declared Lucy as "The Valiant". At first, Lucy hadnt even known what the word meant, until Tumnus explained it to her after the ceremony today. It was then that Lucy finally understood. Aslan had left her and her siblings in charge of His entire kingdom, and it was their jobs to be good, kind, and brave rulers in His absence. It was a bigger responsibility than Lucy could have ever imagined. She would have to live up to her title and stay valiant, she told herself more than once. Though, it had been extremely difficult watching Aslan leave this evening. But she had faith that He would return one day, just like he promised.

Lucy's thoughts continued to drift towards other things. She thought of England, and her Mum and Dad, who weren't here. She wondered when, or if she would ever see them again. What would Mum say about where they all were now? Had Dad returned from the war yet? Lucy shook her head. She might never get to find out. Who knew how much time had already passed in England anyways? The time here in Narnia was different than there. Why, it could have been years already for all Lucy knew.

She blinked back a tear, exhausted. It had been hours, and she still couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the excitement, or maybe it was because she wasn't used to sleeping alone. As far back as she could remember, she had always shared a room with someone. Now, here she was, in a large, unfamiliar place, all by herself. When she had first seen her new sleeping quarters, she had wished more than once that their four rooms were closer together. Susan's was the closest to hers, but still not close enough for Lucy's comfort. Edmund and Peter's chambers were all the way down a long golden hallway on the opposite end of hers and Susan's. But there was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to try to sleep….

After another hour of trying, Lucy finally sat up and sighed, on the verge of tears. She wasn't going to wait any longer. Sliding her feet into her white and silver slippers, Lucy stood and shuffled to where her tall double doors were. The golden handle creaked loudly as she turned it, and slipped into the hallway. She had to remember for a second which direction Peter's room was in the dark, but once she did, she tiptoed quietly down the hall.

Lucy paused for a moment, not wanting to wake her brother if he was asleep by opening the door. She decided that if he was, she would just sleep on the floor beside his bed so she didnt disturb him. He must be exhausted. Just 48 hours before, he had been leading the Narnian army into battle against the White Witch. There really hadnt been much time to rest in between the battle and the coronation the following day.

Pushing the door open quietly, Lucy made her way into his room. Of the four bedrooms, Peter's had been her favorite one. The entire chamber was themed in red and gold, his bed nearly twice the size of Lucy's. The floor was made up of golden mosaics. The ceiling was high, and a golden treasure chest sat at the foot of his bed, which held the most precious scrolls and jewels in the land. In the corner of the room, there stood a large marble lion fountain. Lucy loved the sound of the water trickling into the small pool beneath it. Above his bed, there hung on the wall a round, golden lion head. But Lucy's favorite part was the skylight that was centered right above the canopy, from which Peter could look up and see the moon and the stars at night. Such was the case now, and as Lucy entered, Peter shifted to face the doorway. Lucy wondered if she had woken him.

"Lucy? Is that you?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing up so late?" He asked as he sat up a little bit.

Lucy cleared her throat. "I, uh, I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?"

Peter shook his head. "No, I haven't slept yet either. Unfortunately." He yawned.

Lucy walked to his bed, almost tripping on his sword and shield that lay on the ground beside it. "I didn't want to bother you, but…is it alright if I sleep in here tonight?" She asked sheepishly.

Peter gave a small smile. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come." He laughed quietly as he patted the bed beside him, beckoning her onto it. "I saw the look on your face earlier when the centaurs showed us the rooms. It's going to take some getting used to for all of us, I suppose." He yawned again, and laid his head back as Lucy snuggled beside him.

Peter instinctively wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close. How many times in the past couple months had he feared losing her, Susan, and Edmund? He was so relieved when the battle was over, and Aslan came leaping down that cliff, destroying the White Witch once and for all. He could now rest easy that his family was safe. He wouldnt have to stay up anymore at nights, worrying over what was happening to Edmund at the witch's hands, or guarding Susan and Lucy against wolves and other ungodly creatures that would try to prey on them. Yes, maybe it was finally over. At least for now.

Lucy relaxed in her brother's arms, finally feeling the safety and warmth she had been missing. After several long moments, she spoke up about something she couldn't seem to take her mind off of. "Peter?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you suppose… we will ever see Mum and Dad again?" There was an edge in her voice, like she was trying not to cry. Peter continued to stare up at the skylight, not taking his eyes off of the stars for a long while. He finally spoke. "I don't know Lu. Its something I've asked myself a lot in these past several days. At first I was certain we would be returning back home after we rescued Edmund, but now that were staying….I just don't know." He sighed heavily. He wished he could give her a better answer.

A single tear slid down Lucy's cheek, but she quickly brushed it away, not wanting Peter to think she was a crybaby. Not that he ever would, but she wanted to be strong once in while too. It wasn't fair that Peter always had to look out for them, and they did nothing in return. Unfortunately, Peter had already noticed her tears.

"Hey now, don't cry Lu.," He tried to comfort her, but she kept crying silently. He hardly blamed her. This last week had been harder than anything Peter had ever expected his family to have to go through. It all happened so quickly, Aslan's death, the battle, the coronation, that the Pevensies hadnt had time to process anything. Peter could eventually get through it, but he hoped Lucy would not be scarred by it all. War, especially a war of this magnitude, was too much for any ten year old to have to experience, Peter reasoned with himself. He silently prayed to Aslan that he would show him how best to help his siblings as they all adjusted to this new life ahead of them.

Peter lightly kissed the top of Lucy's head. "It's all going to be alright will work everything out." He used her pet name that he had given her when they were just toddlers. Lucy looked up at the skylight and seemed to calm down a little. After a few minutes, she stopped crying and laid still. Drawing in a long breath, she whispered, "I know he will Peter. I know he will."

Peter wondered at her sudden calmness. However when he glanced upwards at the sky, he understood. There, directly above them, was a constellation that hadnt been there before. Peter could have sworn it looked like a lion…


End file.
